Automatic sprinkler alarm and indicator system.



F. w. MILLIKEN.

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER ALARM AND INDICATORSYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2. 1915.

1,153,400. PatentedSept. 14, 1915 by intended to limit the invention,

' State of Maine, have invented cs 13 a portion of the sprinkler system ill; tal

OF-AUBURN, is; snows, cc.

MEITLEKEN,

meshes, I

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, FRANK. Vii citizen of the United States, r: Auburn, in the county of fiii'lfiilOSCO and useful Improvements in. Eprinkler Alarm and Indicator Ely which the following is a specifics? This invention relates to im in. automatic sprinkler alarm our systems, and particularly to certain che L and additions to the apparatus own my Patent, No. 977,391, but is not the; c-

as expressed in the claims te the apparatus described in my said patent.

One-object of the present int provide means for giving an a. ever the supply from the main to the tem is for any reason cut oil, so that it will be impossible for any person to shut the supply from the system without proper warning.

Another obj ect is to provide the appara us with a double alarm, each working inde pendently of the other, one being electrically controlled and the other mechanically.

Another object is to provide an apparatus which Works automatically under all conditions.

Another is to provide means to keep the signaling apparatus from operat' while the system is being charged, and the). main-- taining it open and in ready condition,

In the drawing herewith accompanying and making a part of this application the figure is a detail elevation, partly in sec tion, showing so much of asprinkler sys tem and of my improvements as is necessary to illustrate its construction and :rolain its operation.

In said drawing A is a main so; ply pipe, service pipe and B a sprinkler head, The service pipe is provided with an alarm valve CODZ1- prising a. casing C having port 5) therein adapted to be normally closed by a gravity valve l This port leads through a pipe into chamber G and discharges into an open receptacle ll set on a pivoted hurl, said receptacle being com'lterbalanced by a weight J. The receptacle has an openin Z in the bottom which is oi. less diameter than. that of the pipe 1?, allowing the receptacle to fill see is charged and then. tached to the receptacle is arm lc which works in engagement its. pinions M which carry movable con- :t points M which when the receptacle cends are made to complete a circuit ough the contact N and battery 0, and

e y ring the bell l? and move the indirzq, H L I 1 ,L L (i. lnese parts are substantially bllG e and operate substantially in. the same manner as in my said. patent.

Between the alarm. valve casing C, before described, and the main, 1 insert a shut-oil. valve consisting of avalve casing R having an tension S in the bottom, and mounted in said valve casing it is a wedge shaped the indicator, giving notice that the supply shut 0:? from the main.

To provide an auxiliary alarm which will work positively and mechanically and to supplement the electrical alarm, I provide at some convenient point in the receptacle chamber a valve casing W in which is a valve X ope ated by a valve stenrY attached to the arm of the rod which supports the receptacle H. Leading from the service pipe B to the valve casing W is a pipe Z the end of which is closed by the valve X. Now, whenever the receptacle H is overbalanced it ope... the valve X, and allows the water to flow through pipe 3V and into a motor Z, conventionally shown, which may be connected to d adapted tonoperato an alarm apparatus not shown.

The admntages of my system are that the main supply *unnot be shut oil and the system emptied without giving notice, and the certainty of the notice is assured. by the auxiliary alarm apparatus, the water motor way from its seat, which occurs whenever giving the alarm, even if the electric current is broken and inoperative. It will be evident that any liquid may be used.

Having described my invention and its use I claim:

1. In an automatic sprinkler alarm and indicator system, a Water main, a branch pipe leading therefrom, a valve seat and valve lo cated in said branch pipe, a counterbalanced receptacle, an open conduit leading from said branch pipe to said receptacle and adapted to be normally closed by said valve when seated and to discharge into said receptacle when said valve is open, an electric circuit, an alarm mechanism, means operable by movement of said receptacle to make and break said circuit and operate said alarm, a shut-oil in the main pipe and means con trolled thereby for operating the make and break means to operate the alarm whenever the water is shut off from the main.

2. In an automatic sprinkler alarm and indicator system, a Water main, a-branch pipe leading therefrom, a valve seat and valve located in said branch pipe, a counterbalanced receptacle, an open conduit leading from said branch pipe to said receptacle and adapted to be normally closed by said valve when seated and to discharge into said rcceptacle when said valve is open, an electric circuit, an alarm mechanism, means operable by movement of said receptacle to make and break said circuit and operate said alarm and means for overbalancing the receptacle and sounding the alarm Whenever the Water is shut ofi' from the sprinkler pipes.

3. In an automatic sprinkler alarm and indicator system, a Water main, a branch pipe leading therefrom, a valve seat and valve located in said branch pipe, a counterbalanced receptacle, an open conduit leading from said branch pipe to said. receptacle, and adapted to be normally closed by said valve when seated and to discharge into said 7 receptacle when said valve is open, an elecopens as the former starts to close the main.

t. In an automatic sprinkler alarm and indicator system, a Water main, a branch pipe leadin, ,gtherefrom, a valve seat and valve located in said branch pipe, a counterbalanced receptacle, an open conduit leading from said branch pipe to said. receptacle and adapted to be normally closed by said valve \vhcn seated and to discharge into said receptacle whensaid valve is open, an electric circuit, an alarm n'icchanism, means operable by movement of said receptacle to make and break said circuit and operate said alarm, a Water motor, a pipe leading from the sprinkler system to said Water motor, a valve located in said latter pipe adapted to be opened by the fall of said receptacle, thereby allowing the water to flow into and operate said motor, and an auxiliary alarm operated by said motor.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FKANK lV. MILLIKEN.

Witnesses HARRY W'. Rows, Haiuu'n'r'ri i l3. S'rn'rsoN. 

